Ampule breaker mechanism



Feb. 23, 1960 w. D. cRozlER v 2,925,777

AMPULE BREAKER MECHANISM Filed Jan. 1o, 1947 glia-Anis:

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'5 P l P i l l@ M A INVENTOR WILL/AM D. CRUZ/Ef? ATTORNEY United States Patent O AMPULE BREAKER MECHANISM William D. Crozier, Albuquerque, N. Mex., assigner to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Application January 10, 1947, Serial No. 721,434

3 Claims. (Cl. IGZ-70.2)

This invention relates generally to improvements in a mechanism for detonating high explosive projectiles and more specifically to an ampule breaker mechanism for use with a deferred action battery of an electrically controlled detonating device for use in projectiles.

An object of the invention is -to providea device for controlling the detonation of projectiles.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel breaker mechanism for the ampule of a deferred action battery.

Another object of the invention is to provide safety means in projectile detonation.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be appreciated readily as the same becomes understood by reference to the following detailed description, when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan of the device with the cover plate removed, to expose the control mechanism, which is shown in full lines, in safety position, the dotted lines showing the mechanism in the released position;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the plane indicated by line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional detail view of the primer in detonating position;

Fig. 4 is `a detail perspective of the half-round, rotatable, trigger for the detonator;

Fig. 5 is an elevation of the device of the invention coupled with a battery;

Fig` 6 is a side view of the device; and

Fig. 7 is a plan thereof, with the cover plate attached.

ln the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, and in which like characters are employed to designate like parts throughout the same, in Fig. 5 the deferred action battery B contains the ampule A as shown in dotted lines and the turrets T and contact pins P and sockets S are employed in detachably coupling the battery B and casing C. With other component parts of the fuze train the coupled battery and case are mounted within and along the longitudinal axis of the projectile in order that the force of spin may be utilized to render operative the percussion-detonation.

The case C, which is shown here as a cylindrical body, is provided with a tight fitting cover plate 1 that closes an annular chamber 2 of the case Cand a central collar 3 is fashioned having a shoulder 4 to receive the open center plate.

The collar 3 is internally threaded to receive the threaded bushing 5 which is fashioned with a projecting neck 6 having inner and outer conical faces.

The bushing neck 6 forms a holder for the plunger or ampule-breaker 7 which is slightly larger in diameter than the neck 6 to prevent accidental projection of the retracted plunger 7. However, when the plunger is violently projected its annular shoulder 8 will shear off the neck 6 as the plunger 7 passes through the bushing 5 to strike and shatter `the ampule A.

The enlarged head or base 9 of the plunger closes a ICC port 10, and this port opens into a transversely extending bore 11 that crosses the axial center of the case C.

At one end the bore 11 terminates within the case, while its outer end is closed by a screw-plug 12 that is fashioned with a stationary tiring pin 13 pointing inwardly.

Within the bore 11 is slidably mounted a carrier 14, having therein a squib or detonator 15, and a coiled spring 17 which are interposed between the closed end of the bore 11 and the tiring pin 13. The spring is designed to project the carrier from the position of Figure 2 to the position of Figure 3; the channel 16 guides the carrier to the firing pin 13. Impingement of the detonator against the firing pin 13 detonates the primer or squib 15.

The spring pressed carrier 14 is held in safety position of Figures 1 and 2 by means of a cylindrical trigger 18 which is rotatable 'in a complementary socket alined with the axis of the case and disposed in a plane to transversely intercept the bore 11. The trigger is cut away at 19. The end of the trigger which protrudes into the lchamber 2 is provided with a setting pin 20. In safety position a portion of the at face 19 of the t-rigger 18 projects into the bore 11, constituting a stop to obstruct the carrier 14 against movement under the pressure of the spring 17. When the trigger 18 is released and free to turn upon its axis the pressure of the spring-pressed carrier against the projected portion of the at face 19 turns the trigger 18 to the position of Figure 3, thereby permitting the spring 17 to project the carrier 14 and detonate the primer 15, to'blow the plunger 7 against the ampule A and break it.

In Figure 1 the rotatable trigger 18 is held in safety position by means of a latch 21 pivoted at 22 in the body of the case, and located in position to obstruct swinging movement of the setting pin 20 of the trigger 18.

This latch co-acts with the centrifugally operated com trol mechanism mounted in the chamber 2, which mechanism includes a latch-detent 23 pivoted at 24, and fashioned with a notch or keeper 25 that receives and retains the free end of the latch 21; and a spring 26 holds the detent 23 in engagement with the latch 21.

Detent 23, when free, is designed to swing, under centrifugal force, on its pivot 24 and release the latch 21, but initially detent 23 is held against movement by means of an operating detent 27 pivoted at 28 and pressed inwardly by a spring 29. The operating detent 27 and the latching detent 23 are detachably coupled together and initially held against centrifugal movement by theirl springs 26 and 29. For this coupling, detent 23 is fashioned with a hook 30 and notch 31; and the operating detent 27 is formed with a complementary tongue 32 and notch 33. It might be added that the contours of notch 31, hook 30 and tongue 32 are so formed, and the strengths of springs 26 and 29 are so adjusted that if the detent 27 is swung outwardly by a lateral shock and detent 23 swung through part of its travel, by rebound, the detents 23 and 27 will return to their safe positions, as in Figure 1, in spite of such friction as exists at 28,

32, at the ends of springs 26 and 29, and elsewhere.

This is to prevent progressive release of latch 21 by a succession of such lateral shocks, and performs the function successfully, as has been demonstrated in the jolt and jumble tests.

In operation, under centrifugal force the operating detent 27 is iirst swung on its pivot and thereby uncoupled from the latching detent; the latching detent, thus freed, is now swung outwardly by centrifugal force to release the latch 21, and trigger 18, all as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1.

Up to this point the spring pressed detonator carrier has been bearing against the protruding portion of the flat face 19 of the trigger 18. Now the spring 17 projects the carrier and detonator to the left in Fig. 2, thereby turning the trigger 18 through an arc of 90; the plunging detonator 15 is exploded by percussion against the firing pin 13; and the pressure generated by the detonation violently projects the enlarged shank 8 ofthe plunger 7 through the :restricted neck 6 to shatter the ampule.

I claim:

1. In a fuze having a deferred action battery including a sealed ampule containing the electrolyte, an ampule breaking device comprising a support having a bore therein, a tiring piu carried by said support and located in said bore, a carrier slidably mounted in said bore for move- 'men-t therealong, a detonator carried by said carrier, re-

silient means urging said carrier toward the firing pin to bring the detonator into contact with said pin, a stop mounted on said support and extending into the path of said carrier to prevent such motion of the carrier, but movable outrof said path by the carrier itself, a shiftable latch preventing such motion of the stop, a second, cen- .trifugally operable, interlocking latch holding said shiftable latch interlocked therewith to prevent release of the stop, a third interlocking latch, likewise centrifugally operable, and interlfocked with said second latch to prevent release thereof, and resilient means opposing the operation of said second and third latches by centrifugal force, whereby upon attainment of suicient spin rate the 'third `and ysecond latches overcome said last named resilient means, the third releases the second,-and the` secondreleases the first, thus freeing the -stop for 'actuation by the carrier, to allow the carrier to bring the detonator into contact with the-firing pin. p

2. In a yfuze including a deferred action battery having a sealed ampule containing the battery electrolyte, means Vfor breaking said ampule at the proper time, said means consisting of a normally retracted plunger, means guiding said plunger into the ampule to break the said ampule, ipropelling means for said plunger, said propelling means including a fulminating charge, a tiring `pin for said charge, means urging said charge against said pin to detonate said charge, a stop normally preventing such motion of the charge, a pivoted latch normally holding the stop in motion-preventing position, a second latch engaging the said first-named latch, a third latch engaging the second latch to prevent movement thereof, and resilient means maintaining said second and third latches in locking position, said second and third latches each being pivoted at one end to permit centrifugal force t'o overcome the resilient means upon spinning of the fuze whereupon the third latch releases the second, the second releases the rst, and the-first becomes freed to allow the charge-urging means to move the stop out of theway and to throw the charge against the tiring pin.

3. In a fuze having a deferred action battery including a frangible ampule 'normally-maintaining the electrolyte out of contact with the battery elements, an ampule breaking device comprising a case, a plunger holder on said case extending into proximity with said ampule, a plunger normally retained in said holder and adapted to be rprojected against said ampule, a neck-portion on said holder, `the body of said plunger being too large to .pass through said neck, the case having an explosion chamber formed therein, there being a passage between said holder and said chamber, the base of said plunger closing the passage into the holder, a detonator contained in said chamber, a trigger maintaining said detonator in safety position, and a centrifugally operable safety latch for Areleasing said trigger to explode said detonator, the explosion of said detonator projecting said plunger to shear said neck and break the ampule.

References Cited in the ile of this `patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,062,810 Wieser May 27, 1913 1,318,954 Barlow Oct. 14, 1919 .2,130,720 Junghans f Sept. 20, 1938 I2,228,905 lBold lan. 14, 1941 2,400,878 Dunnl May 28, 1946 2,403,567 Wales f July 9, 1946 

